*** Rooster ON Maurice! ***

Your Contemplate it With Wine
Generally speaking, White Burgundy (Chardonnay) is typified by aromas and flavors
of green apple and lemon and is defined by its structure and expression of minerality.
White Burgundy vinified in stainless-steel tanks will emphasize its freshness,
while aging in French oak barrels can lend accents of toast and vanilla.

This White Burgundy, with its rich texture and toasted flavors, pairs well
with white fish and shellfish, and its naturally high acidity can counterbalance
cream-based sauces. Oak-aged Chardonnay from warmer climates lends itself
well to grilled fish, starches, butter, and toasted nuts.

2018 is $24

Cellaring Part III

"The Before Time"
The phrase is attributed to an episode of the original Star Trek series from 1966.
Captain Kirk has found a planet populated only by children. One explains the grown ups
have disappeared: "that was when they started to get sick in the Before Time."

We need something to hold on to at this point in time. 
We need something that will bring "The Before Time" forward.
We need a wine that transcends time, that actually wants time, continuity,
a Cellar !

Review video by Andy Hale above on home "cellaring."
With great prices being offered by our distributors combined with potentially
100% tariffbearing down on us, this is the time to collect wines that can age.
John, Andy and Brett of The Asheville School of Wine @MetroWines
can get you started or add to your existing cellar.
(828) 575-9525.

Meanwhile, John suggests you start here:  
la Viarte Schioppettino di Prepotto 2009!

The varietal is Schioppettino. Mentioned in documents as far back as the 1300s,
the grape had nearly gone extinct by the 1970s. But it's back.
Think of it as a cross between Syrah and Cabernet Franc. All about it from VinePair: https://vinepair.com/articles/italian-wine-schioppettino-explainer/

La Viarte winery was founded in 1973 in a small town named Prepotto,
in the province of Udine. A company that fixes in its name the encounter between
dream and reality, between roots and air, between past and future: “Viarte”,
in Friulian (the local dialect)  means “spring”.

The Schioppettino of Prepotto is born in the Valley of the Judrio,
between Italy and Slovenia; today it is grown in the municipality of Prepotto
where the microclimate makes this wine unique and unmistakable.

Open one hour before drinking. Almost opaque, dark garnet color with a light red rim.
Cherry, strawberry and lots of wet wood aromas. Smooth entry, dry, a little rustic,
medium body and a 150-grit texture. Flavors of mostly cherry and spicy pepper,
but with red current in the background. Very refined leathery tannins that slowly grow
in grip through a long tart, dry finish that had a smoky and peppery taste.
An assertive, dry Italian wine, robust and distinctive. Tannins and acidity make it age-able!

Unavailable at wine.com. Be grateful. It was $41.

SCIENTISTS AT BEN GURION UNIVERSITY IN ISRAEL HAVE DISCOVERED
A WAY TO EAVESDROP ON ENTIRE CONVERSATIONS BY STUDYING
THE VIBRATION PATTERNS IN A LIGHTBULB!
wired.com: https://www.wired.com/story/lamphone-light-bulb-vibration-spying/

Sounds like passwords are going the way of the buggy whip.
Not to be paranoid but somebody somewhere is collecting
our private data through mail, laptop cameras,
phones and now, lightblulbs! What does this tell us?

*** Fight Back ***
Let them watch you enjoying 
The DEAL of the WEEK!

2017 RAMOS RESERVA 

Ruby red in color. This wine displays aromas of ripe red fruit and dried herbs.
Soft and robust with complex tannins. On the palate, the wine is spicy with a long finish.

*** $12.99 ***

Blackberry compote with hints of blueberry, a chewy mouthfeel
with an earthiness familiar of an old world Bordeaux. Hints of tobacco and leather
with bright acidity and soft lasting tannin. No additives.
Ultraviolet was started in 2009 by Samantha Sheehan of POE Wines.
The grapes are sourced from vineyards in St Helena and Coombsville,
and the wine is typically a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot.
The wine is aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak, 50% neutral French oak.

Samantha Sheehan was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s
“15 Women to Watch in Wine,” and has been featured in Bloomberg,
Wine & Spirits Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times.

** $14.99 @MetroWines (red tag) **

https://www.wsj.com/articles/jacqueline-kennedy-
onassis-style-a-white-back-to-work-blazer-11592327851

This look definitely calls for white wine. WhileThe Kennedy White House served
domestic wines on occasion, Jackie preferred French Wine. And this is in great part
because the California wine rush had not yet happened. Nevertheless:

Your Wear it With Wine

Twice in the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines
Made by Vincent and Isabelle Greuzard from old vines, this wine is straw yellow
with silver glint in glass, hazelnut on the nose, round and dry on the palate.
Half old oak barrels, half new. The village of La Roche Vineuse (meaning vinous rock)
appropriately named for the bevy of limestone found in the vineyards,
is located in the heart of the Mâconnais, and captures its true “terroir”.
Balancing richness with minerality; the mid-palate and length are classic Burgundy.
Brett Watson says: "This bottle drinks like high quality
White Burgundy for a fraction of the price."

The 2018 is $19.99

BIG RED of THE WEEK

*** 2016 FLUX ***
58% Grenache, 28% Mourvedere and 17% Syrah
** A Mark Herold Wine **

** WINEMAKERS TASTING NOTES **
This wine offers a dizzying array of heady aromas - candied black raspberries,
currants, mango peel, ripe strawberries, rhubarb pie, cracked pepper and black soil.
Hints of toasted nuts, mocha, cotton candy, pencil lead, tree bark and bramble add
complexity to this layered wine. The palate is rich, savory and loaded with bright fruit flavors.
A structured yet supple wine supported by silky tannins and a lingering, fresh finish.

** VINTAGE NOTES **
2016 was an unquestionably near perfect vintage; with an early start
and a season filled with long, warm days. The grapes developed beautifully
achieving optimal ripeness at harvest. The resulting wines exhibit expressive,
balanced and complex fruit flavors, supported by elegant tannins. Aged in oak.
Read about the Winemaker Mark Herold here: 
https://www.markheroldwines.com/About/Mark-Herold-Wines

** Manager's Special **

$19.99 (Red Tag)

So, this newest tragedy tells us: 
Limit the use of plastics.
Shop LocalLY because shipping is loaded with the stuff.

and, oh yeah, what are you waiting for?

Blend of 90%Tannat and 10%Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new oak.

Winemaker Notes: Very ripe, rich Madiran that takes no prisoners.
This wine succeeds in obtaining more fruit than tannin! Color is nearly opaque.
Wine doesn't get much darker than this. It displays notes of black fruit
(blackcurrant and blackberry) along with just a hint of red fruit.
There is a cedar-like creaminess to the oak which is extremely well-integrated.
Tannins pick up on the finish but, this is Madiran and that is to be expected.

92 Points from Wine Enthusiast
"Of course, this 90% Tannat wine is still very young. But it's impressive,
rich and concentrated and promises to age well. It is dense with both tannins and fruit,
black plum and berry flavors dominating, cut by acidity."

This bottle was not ready to open until 2019. We bought a case and aged it.
So you reap the benefits of an aged wine for a good price!
Call (828) 575-9525 to reserve your bottles!

$29 What are you waiting for?